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Tom edited this page Aug 25, 2023 · 25 revisions

First time users

  • Update the Amazon URL used for searches to your local/preferred one by going to "Settings", under the "Search" category, select "More..." then "Amazon" and update the URL. Make sure it's a fully valid URL including the https part.

  • You should configure the list of search-sites (search-engines) to reflect your usual book-genre. Go to "Settings", under the "Search" category, "Websites". Enable/disable and move them up or down the priority list. This can also be adjusted on-the-fly on search-screens from their 'options' menus.

  • If you have no need for any specific fields, go to "Settings", scroll down to the advanced section, and select "Field Visibility". The lending-facility can also be enabled/disabled in this section.

  • ISBN versus Barcode: All search-sites support ISBN lookup; some also support 'Barcode'. The latter is specifically for books where the barcode MAY be different from the ISBN (yes, this happens).

Styles

Styles are a very powerful way of customizing the main book list. Access them from the main menu panel "Booklist Styles". There are two types: "Built-in" and "User-defined". You cannot change a built-in style. Instead you duplicate it, give it a custom name and edit that copy. There is A LOT of customization possible. I'll add examples here as and when I get specific questions, but the best thing is just to experiment with them. Note that styles are set for each bookshelf. So you can sort/style each bookshelf individually.

All styles versus Preferred Styles.

By default no styles are preferred and the styles option menu (icons in the task-bar of the main screen) will show all of them. Once you add/modify a style, it will be flagged as preferred. Open the menu panel and select "Booklist styles" (read the 'tip'). Select or deselect styles (using the check-box on each row) and move them up/down with the "2-bars" icon button. Selected styles are preferred and will show in the options menu providing a shorter/easier menu. The greyed row will be the actual selected style; which obviously you can change on the book list using the options menu again .

Show a book in the list under all of its authors.

Suppose you added a book with 2 or more authors. By default you will only see the primary author in the book list. Open the menu panel and select "Booklist styles" (read the 'tip'). If you haven't done this before, the top one is the default "Author, Series". Either long-click or use the menu button on the row (3-dots) and choose 'duplicate'. Modify the name to something that suits you. Click OK and read the 'tip'. Scroll down... to the setting: "Show books with multiple authors" Switch that ON and you get "under each owner". When returning to the booklist, you will now see all authors on individual rows, and that single book will appear once under each.

Importing from Book Catalogue

Importing a Book Catalogue "bcbk" backup file is supported after converting the "bcbk" file (which is a "tar" archive) to a "zip" file. Just use any app which can open tar files and save zip files. When zipping, make sure the "INFO.xml", "books.csv" and all cover files are at the top level of the "zip" file. Preference and style files cannot be imported; don't add them (they will be ignored).

Maintenance (last option in the Settings)

Reset tips

Helpful tips are shown on some screens; you can disable them when read. Choose this option to re-enable all of them.

Cleanup Files

Cleans up some temporary files: logs, upgrade backup files and any orphaned cover images.

Clear the node state for all lists

Each bookshelf/style will store the state of the nodes in the displayed book-list, i.e. which nodes are collapsed or expanded. This option clears/resets that state globally.

Rebuild Full Text Search (FTS) data

Not normally needed, it will clear and rebuild the entire local search-data and should only be used if requested to do so in a github issue.

Rebuild the indexes

Not normally needed, it will clear and rebuild the database indexes and should only be used if requested to do so in a github issue.

Bug report

When reporting an issue on github it's recommended to first generate a bug-report with the options "logs" and "preferences". A zip file will be generated which you then should attach to your issue on github.

Network issues

  • This application will make DNS lookups and use http/https to connect to internet sites. If you have any firewall, DNS (e.g. personalDNSfilter) or other blockers make sure to add this app to the permitted list.

  • Slow network access? Adjust time-outs for individual web-sites: "Settings", under the "Search" category, select "More...".

Calibre

Known issues

  • The node-management, i.e. storing the tree-state of the nodes in the booklist is by design not foolproof. The nodes 'expanded' flag WILL get out of sync with the display from time to time. There are no plans to fix this for now as the foolproof solution would take far to much disk space. This will auto-correct if you tap a row once or twice (or use the "Clear the node state" in the options menu on the bookshelf and styles edit screens.)
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